As NOAH celebrates its 40th anniversary, NOAH chief executive Dawn Howard reflects on the organisation’s summer event and what the next four decades could mean for animal health
NOAH welcomed members, partners and colleagues from across the animal health sector to our annual Summer Event. This year’s gathering was particularly special as we celebrated NOAH’s 40th anniversary.
Anniversaries naturally invite reflection. Looking back over the past four decades, it is remarkable how much has changed: not only in veterinary medicines themselves, but in our understanding of animal health, the expectations placed on our industry, and the contribution our sector makes to society.
When NOAH was founded in 1986, veterinary medicine was a very different landscape. Many of the products, technologies and treatment approaches that are now considered routine simply did not exist. Today, innovation is transforming the way we prevent, diagnose and treat disease across companion animals, livestock and horses.
For companion animals, advances such as monoclonal antibody therapies are changing the management of chronic conditions including osteoarthritis pain and allergic skin disease. These innovative medicines are improving quality of life for pets while providing veterinary professionals with entirely new treatment options.
Innovation in equine medicine has been equally significant. Stem cell therapies, advances in diagnostic techniques, and more sophisticated approaches to pain management are helping horses recover more effectively from injury and enjoy healthier, more active lives.
Across the livestock sector, progress has also been profound. There has been a welcome shift from treating disease after it occurs towards preventing it through better diagnostics, vaccination, parasite control, and herd and flock health planning. At the same time, pain management has rightly become a greater priority, improving both animal welfare and productivity.
Alongside these scientific advances, our industry’s wider responsibilities have evolved. The principles of One Health have become firmly established, recognising the close connection between the health of animals, people and the environment. Responsible use of medicines, antimicrobial stewardship, environmental sustainability, and supporting resilient food production are now central to the work of our sector.
Throughout these changes, NOAH has been proud to represent the UK’s animal medicines industry. Our role has been to champion innovation, work collaboratively with government and stakeholders, support science-based regulation, and ensure that veterinary medicines continue to play their vital role in protecting animal health and welfare.
The challenges facing our sector today are different from those of 40 years ago. New diseases, climate change, changing consumer expectations, and rapid technological advances will all shape the future of animal health. Meeting these challenges will require continued investment in research and development, strong partnerships across the sector, and policies that enable innovation to reach those who need it.
As we celebrated this milestone with our members and partners, there was a real sense of pride in what has been achieved over the past four decades. But there was also a clear recognition that our work is far from complete.
The progress made over the last 40 years demonstrates what can be achieved when industry, veterinary professionals, farmers, pet owners, researchers and policymakers work together with a shared commitment to improving animal health and welfare.
On behalf of everyone at NOAH, I would like to thank our members, past and present, as well as our many partners and stakeholders, for the part they have played in shaping our organisation and supporting the UK’s animal health sector.
While we are proud of our history, our focus remains firmly on the future. I am excited by the opportunities ahead and confident that, by continuing to work together, we can ensure the next 40 years deliver even greater advances for animals, people and the environment.
